Finding a Voice in Venture

11/07/20 • 43 min

On this episode of Access & Opportunity, we welcome investor Soraya Darabi. A former serial entrepreneur, Soraya is a founder and General Partner at Trail Mix Ventures, an early-stage investment firm focused on the future of living well. We are also joined by Sarah Sheehan, the co-founder and COO of Bravely, a startup that remotely connects employees with certified coaches.

In 2017, Soraya and Trail Mix Ventures invested in Bravely’s seed round and the two organizations have been close partners ever since. Throughout this episode, Soraya and Sarah share how they respectively became an investor and an entrepreneur, what Soraya saw in Sarah and her company, the key steps they took during, and after “the deal,” and how they’re each adapting to the ever-changing business landscape brought by Covid-19.

https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity

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The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast.

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.

https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity

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Articulating Our 'Why'

Guest host Ian Folau turns the tables on Carla and her co-head in the Multicultural Innovation Lab, Alice Vilma, asking why they do the work they do to level the funding landscape for women and multicultural entrepreneurs. Ian brings his perspective as a founder, a graduate of the Multicultural Innovation Lab, and now as a VC, to bear on the work of the lab and the paths that brought Carla and Alice to the work they now do in support of emerging tech-enabled companies.

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Season 7 - Coming soon!

Welcome back for Season 7 of Access & Opportunity! We're staying focused on the challenges faced by women and multicultural-led businesses in accessing capital, and the overlooked opportunities they represent for investors.

This season we’re speaking to influencers in the sports, media and entertainment fields who've committed to reframing the narrative for women and people of color. Stay tuned for Episode 1, launching December 2nd!